NEW DELHI: In a major nationwide crackdown, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has instructed all state governments and union territories to constitute Special Task Forces (STFs) in every district to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants within the next 30 days.
The directive, issued in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, has given state governments a free hand to carry out the operation in coordination with central agencies.
According to the letter sent by the MHA, the STFs are required to collect comprehensive details of suspected illegal migrants, including their name, parents’ names, residential address, and information about close relatives. After physical verification, the identified individuals are to be moved to designated holding centres.
Once their status as illegal migrants is confirmed, the ministry has instructed that biometric and demographic details be recorded and uploaded on the Foreigners’ Identification Portal.
Following completion of the verification process, which must be concluded within 30 days, the migrants will be handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, or the Indian Coast Guard. These forces will then facilitate their deportation by transferring them to the authorities of their country of origin.
The MHA has also made it clear that any claim of Indian citizenship must be verified within a month. Officials involved in the process say this is to ensure that there are no undue delays in the deportation procedure.
The Centre’s tough stance comes amid rising concerns over national security and the alleged role of foreign elements in recent terror activities.